Republished on January 4, with information on new Edge advances to target Chrome and the future desktop integration expected with Gemini per Google’s latest pre-release build.
It’s no surprise that Google is desperate to keep Chrome in its stable, fending off the Justice Department’s crusade to force a sale of the browser. But Chrome is proving to be remarkably resilient, as with a new update that’s bad news for Microsoft and it’s Windows operating system.
Microsoft has campaigned hard to switch Chrome users to its Edge browser, taking flak for the nags and ads stitched into Windows itself, including ones that interrupt Chrome installations on a PC. While this has proven broadly ineffective, Microsoft has also deployed a more potent tactic, pushing users to switch to Edge for security reasons, especially within an enterprise environment. As I’ve commented, if users switch to Edge at work perhaps they’ll do the same at home.
But while Edge is increasing its market share, up more than 2% year-over-year to 13% of the desktop market, the already dominant Chrome was actually growing faster until the end of 2024. As reported via Neowin, some of Statcounter’s most recent figures, “Chrome opens 2025 with a strong and unattainable market share of 66. 88%, expanding its market share across 0. 5 numbers in a month and 1. 65 year-over-year issuances. “As such, it turns out that the Microsoft Windows crusade rarely works.
The newest Windows classifieds pushing users over the edge have been a success in progressing just before the holidays, with the most recent Windows reporting that “Microsoft Edge may not prevent annoying users from being defaulted to Windows 11 ” But although there is obviously a Conversion, it is not enough bromine.
These Edge emerging windows did not fail at all, “Edge’s contextual name says that you deserve to ‘use the browser configuration recommended by Microsoft,” says Windows Latest, “and affirms that’ Microsoft Edge helps you stay protected while navigating blocking Phishing and Malware. ” Attacks. With some other vignette: “Establish Microsoft Edge as a predetermined browser. ” Once you have decided to “confirm”, you must choose to establish as predetermined in the Windows configuration application to make Edge your predetermined browser.
But Google turns out to do the same in return. ” If you use Edge to explore Google properties, such as Google. com and YouTube. com, you’ll possibly meet with contextual Windows that recommends “Chrome” for AI, a safer internet, and other significant marketing features. Even if the pop-ups are boring, they are now popular in the industry.
I have contacted Microsoft and Google for any comments on those most recent figures. Cozy is expanding and building market share, it’s just that Chrome’s example is big enough to be indisputable absent a primary market disruption, however. it can happen.
The year 2025 may be another: we still do not know where the US antitrust crusade will end. That said, Microsoft has its own considerations here. As Neawin explains, “the browse manufacturers and defense teams recently sent a letter to the European Commission asking him to submit DMA regulations and consider Microsoft as a guardian who harms other corporations with predatory practices. “
Navigators International Market Share (January – December 2024)
With the new year barely underway, it’s already clear that the fun and games between Google and Microsoft is set to run and run. Google is not averse to running its own take0ver campaigns, and now as reported by Windows Latest, “watch out Copilot—Google could add Gemini Live to Windows 11 taskbar via Chrome.” Ironically, this could spur Microsoft into redoubling its efforts to push Chrome users to Edge, given how critical the Copilot versus Gemini battle could become as AI evolves into the driving force within the apps and platforms we use, and more critically how we use them.
“While searching for recent Windows 11-related Chromium additions,” Windows Latest explains, “[we] spotted a reference to a Chromium patch that fixes ‘floaty detach on Windows.’, which is apparently related to Gemini Live, codenamed ‘GLIC’ in Chrome… Up until now, Gemini Live has been exclusive to the Gemini app on Android and iOS, but Google wants that to change, and it has plans to integrate the AI into Chrome’s sidebar, similar to how you can access Copilot in Microsoft Edge. But it could go a step further by adding a Gemini Live button to the taskbar… In other words, the Gemini Live interface might detach from the Chrome window and float independently. You’ll be able to open that Gemini Live floating interface directly from the taskbar or system tray by clicking an icon.”
Default Edge Push
It’s very likely that this Chrome update is just a taste of what’s to come, with the Browser Wars changing gears as dual threats to the prestige quo of AI search and the closer integration of generative AI appear. In those two areas, Microsoft and Google are already facing each other, with their respective browsers only components of the battlefield. Microsoft hopes that those disruptive forces can nonetheless dominate the market for Shake Chrome, while Google will obviously build on its forged foundation.
And this comes against the backdrop of the latest Chrome security furor, with a raft of extensions having been found to be a threat to those using them. To be fair to Google’s PR team, they have proven themselves to be equally resilient, batting away all manner of Chrome headlines including these latest ones—the reversal on tracking cookies, Apple’s fabled ad mimicking The Birds, security warning after security warning, and the unimaginably painful Privacy Sandbox regulatory stalemate. They don’t need to overreact—Chrome’s user base has proven that it cares much more about the browser’s features and performance than its record on privacy and security bugs.
Windows Latest has also reports that AI advances [are] coming to Edge, with “more AI and ML-related features on Windows 11,” adding that “we’ve spotted a new flag in Edge Canary called msTaskbarXUseSystemTray, which seems to point to some kind of Windows 11 system tray integration… It looks like Microsoft might let Edge show icons or notifications in the system tray.”
This goes to the heart of Microsoft’s browser/OS integration, which has also led to claims that Edge performance will vastly improve under Windows 11 as it operates natively. It’s difficult for Chrome to compete with this as it will always present as an outsider. “You may have noticed that some of Edge’s features have become faster and more responsive,” Microsoft posted. “That’s because Edge is on a journey to make all user interactions in the browser blazing fast starting with some of our newest features and core features.” This has been coming for a while, though, and has not broken through.
As I have reported before, of all the new advances, the Copilot AI push seems central to the Windows 11 push, and one can assume Copilot versus Gemini will take Edge versus Chrome to new heights. “Could Google pull this off on Windows with Gemini Live in Chrome?” says WindowsLatest. “We don’t know yet, but Google is certainly doing a better job than Microsoft when it comes to integrating AI into OSs.” But we’re still only at the very beginning of that particular journey.
Happy new year? Maybe not for long.
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